If you read “The Worst Hard Time” by Timothy Egan, then part of this book will be familiar to you. It details the struggle of a fictional, though representative, Texas farm family, not far from Dalhart, Texas. The second part of the book details what happens to this family when they flee the Dust Bowl, Read More
Tag: California
Westering Women and the Frontier Experience 1800-1915 by Sandra L Myres
This is a non-fiction book, and is basically a review and analysis of the diaries and letters of women who made the journey west, along with what was written about these women, both at the time and much later on. While this may not be easily available at your local library, if you had ancestors Read More
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
I had not previously read this book, but I am glad that I finally did. You definitely see why it is considered “Literature”, but it is also a powerful story, with unique, imperfect characters. In some ways, I can’t say I really related to any of them, but you do understand their motivations. I have Read More
Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende
Although only about a third of this book takes place in the United States, it is still worthwhile to read, especially if you had an ancestor who lived in California during or just after the Gold Rush. The first part of the story follows the title character, Eliza Sommers, through her childhood and youth in Read More